The present invention relates generally to manufacturing automation and specifically to software for automation of semiconductor manufacturing.
Semiconductor manufacturing is an increasingly complex, multi-step process that is subject to strict manufacturing requirements (e.g., tight manufacturing tolerances) and schedules. This manufacturing is typically carried out in large fabrication facilities, often costing billions of dollars to construct. These facilities typically incorporate dozens of tools (including software, devices and various systems) involved in the various stages of the manufacturing process.
Semiconductor chips that are manufactured from the facilities mentioned above are formed through a serial photolithography process that may require hundreds of steps to form a finished chip. Every step in the process must be closely monitored, materials carefully regulated, and timing carefully controlled. Due to the high cost of building a fabrication facility, maximizing the efficiency of these facilities is particularly important. The sequencing of steps, scheduling of materials, and other process parameters vary with the particular chip being manufactured. Automation is critical to running a semiconductor fabrication facility effectively, and manufacturing automation software, such as Consilium, Inc.""s FAB300 (copyright) manufacturing execution system (in its various versions), enables integrated management of the entire process. (Consilium, of Mountain View, Calif., is a company of Applied Materials, Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif.). An important aspect in facilitating this efficiency is the integration of the various tools in the fabrication facility to establish a smooth manufacturing assembly. Due in part to the various factors indicated above, integration is a significant challenge.
It may be desirable that a manufacturing execution system (MES) allow managers to control the entire manufacturing process, including various aspects such as tool management, materials management, data management, scheduling, etc., in a centralized manner. In many cases it is preferable that an MES allow the entire manufacturing operation to be run from a single software user interface; however, existing systems often incorporate a variety of interfaces. The tools that are used in a fabrication facility may come from a variety of manufacturers and incorporate a variety of interfaces, communication protocols, etc.
Due to the lack of standardization across tools, incorporating the tools into an MES to allow the software to deliver process instructions and receive production data may require complex, individual programming for each tool. Typically, to link each tool into the MES, a semiconductor manufacturer must create a customized software interface between the tools and the MES. To do this, the systems integrator must be familiar with the source code of the MES. Also, even when a standard protocol is used, each tool must be individually tied in to the system essentially manually. For example, a facility may select one of several material control systems commercially available from different vendors as a component of its manufacturing assembly. Each material control system may have its own set of commands and communication protocols. A systems integrator at the fabrication facility will write special software to allow the selected material control system to function in the fabrication facility""s manufacturing environment (i.e., to tie it in with the MES). The requirements of the software will depend on the specific material control system selected. Moreover, due to the lack of standardization, each new component should be carefully tested before being released into the system. Particularly given the number of tools typically involved, tying the tools in this way is an expensive, time-consuming process. The resulting system is unwieldy and inconsistent and diminishes the ability of the MES to provide a single, controllable definition of the manufacturing process and to maximize the active production time of the facility.
Consequently, there is a need for xe2x80x9cplug-and-playxe2x80x9d operability of semiconductor manufacturing tools with respect to an MES, preferably utilizing a common graphical user interface for all components. Accordingly, there is a need for a system that substantially or fully automates and standardizes the process of integrating tools into an MES in a uniform way.
The present invention addresses the issues mentioned above by providing a system, method and medium for generating an interface adapter to facilitate communication between tools and a centralized manufacturing execution system (MES). As contemplated by embodiments of the present invention, the interface adapter then allows a tool (which can be, e.g., a system performing a function) in a semiconductor manufacturing assembly to communicate with other hardware and software in the centralized MES in accordance with a standard protocol and to be operable from a common view graphical user interface (or common set of interfaces). In one aspect of the invention (and environments used therewith), the interface adapter handles asynchronous calls or long-running service requests to the material control system, while passing through synchronous calls. In an exemplary embodiment, the interface adapter functions as a Microsoft(copyright) Transaction Server (MTS) component on an MTS server.
By way of example, embodiments of the present invention will be explained herein with regard to a material control system as the exemplary tool being integrated into the manufacturing assembly. The material control system uses, in various embodiments, COM-based interface methods (optionally including a COM-based protocol converter), exposing its interface methods via a type library. In generating the interface adapter, the present invention identifies the type library and desired parameters of the material control system, maps the COM-based interface methods of the material control system to the interface of the MES, and, e.g., handles long running service request support.